BBC about to air Caster Semenya film

IT is official – the documentary film that London-based Australian director Maxx Ginnane made on South African athlete Caster Semenya during 2010 is now to be broadcast in the United Kingdom. BBC TWO will broadcast Too Fast to be a Woman? The Story of Caster Semenyaon Tuesday 22nd February 2011 at 7pm.

Ms Ginnane traveled between the United Kingdom and Ms Semenya’s training base in the South African capital of Pretoria several times during 2010 to make this film and we at OII Australia are very much looking forward to seeing it. We hope that production company Rise Films will find an Australian broadcaster willing to show it here soon after its British debut.

Sydney tabloid newspaper The Daily Telegraph broke the story of Ms Semenya possibly being intersex soon after sports journalist and trainer Mike Hurst was told a rumour to that effect by a South African sports official shortly after runner Ms Semenya won the 800 metre event at a world championship contest in Berlin in 2010.

Ms Semenya continues to refuse to comment on whether she is intersex or not and OII fully supports her right not to do so. We also fully support her right to compete in athletics events as herself, as she is.